BARROW AFC have been dealt a 'massive body blow', with Moussa Diarra, Adi Yussuf and Jack Barthram all out with hamstring injuries.

Diarra is the biggest casualty – facing a potential absence of between eight and 10 weeks.

Yussuf could be sidelined for up to four weeks and Barthram up to two, with physio Matt Butterfield due to consult with a specialist about the trio on Wednesday.

That consultation will confirm the exact length of expected lay-offs, but they are another three members of an already injury-hit squad to be ruled out, following Dave Nieskens (knee) and Thierry Audel (broken arm).

Interim boss Micky Moore – whose own future is set to be decided in the very near future as the club make a decision on a permanent successor to Paul Cox – said their loss would be keenly felt.

“All three of them are out injured,” said Moore. “We will know more on Wednesday. Moussa has had a scan, Matt has the results, but he needs to speak to the specialist in terms of putting a plan together for Moussa.

“Jack is probably the best of the three of them, then Adi, then Moussa. Moussa looks like, potentially – and I don't want to tempt fate – he could be long-term. You're talking potentially eight to 10 weeks.

“Potentially, you're looking at two weeks for Jack, and potentially up to four weeks for Adi.

“We will know better after talking to the specialist. These are potential diagnoses, they are not cast in stone. Matt has given me these time-frames potentially, but once he speaks to the specialist about the scans and what we are going to put in place, we will know more.

“It could be Moussa is six to eight weeks, instead of eight to 10, Adi could be two or three weeks instead of two to four, but whichever way you look at it, we've lost them.

“That's on top on David Nieskens and that's on top of Thierry Audel. It's a massive body blow.

“You look at the games we have been playing with a back-three, and now we have lost all three centre-halves.”

Diarra's injury means he will miss a National League game for the first time since joining Barrow before the start of last season.

He was the only ever-present for the last campaign, and had played in all 11 fixtures so far in this campaign, before being hurt in the final stages of the 1-1 draw with Torquay on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Frenchman stayed on the field – albeit in a reduced role up-front – but must now miss somewhere in the region of 11 to 13 matches.

“You could probably count on one hand the number of games Moussa has missed,” said Moore of a player whose only absence last season came when he missed an FA Trophy match as he was stuck in France following a family bereavement. “He's a stalwart for the team. Losing Moussa is a massive blow, an absolutely massive blow.

“Moussa is frustrated, because he played 50-odd games last year, and he has probably played 50 games the last two or three seasons, even at Hampton and Richmond. For Moussa to get this injury, he's gutted. He's going to miss games and he is normally very reliable week after week.”

While Barthram should be back for the home match with Leyton Orient in two weeks – if not before – Yussuf will miss another handful of matches, having already sat out two with his hamstring strain earlier in the campaign.

He walked off holding the back of his leg in the Torquay match, and Moore said he was disappointed not to be able to show what he can do thus far for the Bluebirds.

“Adi is angry, frustrated, disappointed – all the cliches you can think of, because he believes he hasn't been able to showcase enough of what he can do,” said Moore.

“The fans have seen glimpses of him, and said 'oh, we like what we see here', then they have seen other bits and they go 'umm, not quite so sure'. He knows that. That's his biggest frustration.

“He came in against Stockport and did really well, he scored against Woking, and some of his displays have been really good; in other games, he hasn't been able to play to the potential we know he has got. He's really frustrated, because he doesn't believe he has managed to show the fans consistently what he can do. He believes can affect this league and do well for us.”